The Utah Hockey Club has made waves in its first off-season as an organization. From notable trades, free agent signings, and entry-level contracts, the Hockey Club is looking to make improvements from its former Arizona team.
In the biggest milestone of the offseason, Utah had an interesting showing at the 2024 NHL Draft. With their sixth overall pick, the new organization took Tij Iginla, a notable two-way center and, of course, son of NHL Hall of Famer, Jarome Iginla.
The younger Iginla is an offensive force on the ice, tallying 84 points in 64 games for a middle-of-the-pack Kelowna Rockets team. His skills mixed with his well-known father should be an enticing combination for an organization looking to build from the ground up.
Utah also signed their 24th overall pick Cole Beaudoin, a center from the Barrie Colts. Beaudoin had 62 points in 67 games on a Colts team with a losing record. Despite being able to rack up points, Beaudoin has become known for his physical strength and work ethic.
During the draft combine, Beaudoin ranked in the top ten for six different tests. He is constantly praised by scouts and coaches for his 200ft game and dedication. The 18-year-old has the potential to make a significant impact on the Utah Hockey Club in the years to come.
Additionally, the Hockey Club signed Russian, Artem Duda to an entry-level contract. The defenseman was the 36th overall pick for the Arizona Coyotes in 2022. Duda is a solid defenseman who spent the second half of the year at Toronto Metropolitan University, where he had 13 points in 18 games, including four goals on just eight shots.
The 20-year-old Russian is a reliable defenseman who ate up minutes at TMU. With more experience in the pros and practice with more physical play, Duda could be a solid defender for the Utah Hockey Club for years.
Utah also made a point to re-sign restricted free agent Barrett Hayton to a two-year, $5.3 million with an AAV set at $2.65 million.
“We are very pleased to sign Barrett to an extension,” Utah general manager Bill Armstrong said, per the NHL. “Barrett is a reliable two-way center who is strong in the face-off circle, and he is a great complement down the middle to our high-skilled forwards. We look forward to having him back with our organization.”
Hayton was a key piece for Arizona over the past few years, having his best year during the 2022-2023 season, setting a career-high in goals (19), assists (24), and points (43) in 82 games in 2022-23.
They also addressed their expiring contracts by extending defensemen Juuso Valimaki and Sean Durzi with multi-year deals. Durzi, who had a career-best season, will look to build on that performance in 2024. Meanwhile, Valimaki, who missed some time in 2023, is just one season removed from a 34-point performance. These signings were essential for solidifying the defensive core.
Besides the changes in jersey color, the line-up will also look different for the Utah Hockey Club this season. With Travis Boyd, Josh Brown, and JJ Moser all being subtracted from the roster. The organization, however, added Kevin Stenlund, Ian Cole, John Marino, and Mikhail Sergachev.
It is clear that Utah is focusing on building a strong defensive core, and they are certainly looking formidable in that regard.
The offense isn’t looking too bad either. Players like Dylan Guenther and Logan Cooley really coming into their own, recording 34 and 44 points, respectively, in their last season in Arizona. They should continue to take steps forward in the coming years and become reliable scorers for this young Utah Hockey team.
Speaking of reliable scorers, Clayton Keller is coming off a nearly point-per-game season. The young center proving he can lead the offensive force of this team for years to come. It will be exciting to see how this offense can grow together with all the young talent in the early days of the Utah Hockey Club’s existence.
While you may still be mourning the loss of the Arizona Coyotes, whether you were a fan of this team before or a new Utah fan, you can agree that this team will be exciting to watch as they keep building their roster in the near future.
Perhaps a move to Salt Lake City was what this organization needed to revive the otherwise lackluster franchise.
